...while it was often said that GM maize was consumed by millions of
Americans, it was noted that it is eaten in highly processed form and was
not a staple food in the USA. "In Zambia maize is the staple food and is
usually the only carbohydrate source," the team observed. (item 1)

Government should maintain the current stand not to accept Genetically
Modified foods by employing the precautionary principle, Zambian scientists
who recently went on a fact finding mission on GMOs have recommended.

According to the report which has since been submitted to the government,
even the safety aspects of GM foods were not conclusive. The report stated
that the importation of genetically modified organisms (GMOs) to Zambia
could destroy both organic and non-GM maize export market.

The report stated that Zambia required to build capacity in biotechnology
and bio-safety to implement the National Biotechnology and Bio-safety Policy
as well as the Cartagena Protocol.

The team further recommends that the government should adopt the draft
Biotechnology and Bio-safety Regulations as soon as possible. "The government
should ratify the Cartagena Protocol because it will facilitate Zambia's
appropriate interactions with other countries on issues of biotechnology
and bio-safety in general and trans-boundary movement of GMOs in particular,"
the team advises.

"The government should follow up the possible support for capacity building
from USAID, UK, the Republic of South Africa, Norwegian and the Netherlands
governments." The team recommends that the government should establish
the types of GM maize which are in the country and the ones already consumed
by Zambians.

The team said this would be in order to establish whether GM maize with
anti-biotic resistant marker genes had been imported into the country.
The team said these genes had been found to be potentially harmful to humans.
Based on the team's observation and analysis of information obtained from
the tour, it was concluded that distribution of genetically modified (GM)
maize grain carries a great risk of eroding the local maize varieties.
It was further found that safety aspects of GM foods are not conclusive.
On trade, it was found that there was potential risk of GM maize to affect
the export of baby corn and honey in particular and organic foods in general
to the European Union if planted.

The team observed that all countries visited had regulatory mechanisms
and that there was generally good will to assist Zambia to build capacity
for biotechnology and bio-safety. The team further discovered that there
was universal agreement that GMOs should not be introduced without the
explicit consent of the recipient countries.

The team observed that while it was often said that GM maize was consumed
by millions of Americans, it was noted that it is eaten in highly processed
form and was not a staple food in the USA.

"In Zambia maize is the staple food and is usually the only carbohydrate
source," the team observed. The countries visited by the team are the United
States of America, South Africa, the United Kingdom, Belgium, Norway and
the Netherlands from September 10 to October 2, 2002.

***

2.GM ruling sparks fears

January 5 2003
By Melissa Marino
The Age
http://www.theage.com.au/articles/2003/01/04/1041566268513.html

Conservationists and farmers say new rules for growing genetically modified
canola in Australia are inadequate and will lead to contamination of organic
produce.

The guidelines call for a five-metre buffer zone between GM and non-GM
canola crops. But opponents say that is not enough to prevent contamination.

They are also concerned non-GM farmers will have to pay the costs of
segregating crops, resulting in higher prices for non-GM foods.

The rules were released by the Gene Technology Grains Committee just
before Christmas.

Chairman Bob Watters has accused dissenters of running a fear campaign.
He said the guidelines would give farmers the choice to take up new technology
and grow GM crops while protecting non-GM interests.

Commonwealth Gene Technology Regulator Sue Meek had been waiting for
the guidelines before deciding whether to approve two applications for
the commercial release of GM canola.

Two multinational companies, Monsanto and Bayer, have applications before
Dr Meek to supply herbicide-resistant GM canola seeds to Australian farmers.
If approved, crops could be growing by April.

Scott Kinnear, a spokesman for Biological Farmers of Australia, which
certifies organic crops, said the protocols were supposed to ensure GM
and other crops could co-exist. But, he said, the five-metre buffer zone
required by the guidelines was ludicrous.

Mr Kinnear said organic crops must have no detectable GM residue to
be classified GM-free, but the guidelines were based on keeping contamination
below 1 per cent. He said 16-kilometre buffer zones would be more realistic,
as well as strict penalties for breaching the regulations.

Mr Watters said he was confident the five-metre buffer would limit contamination
of non-GM crops to a commercially acceptable standard.

But Greenpeace GM campaigner John Hepburn said canola plants could be
contaminated from a distance of 2.6 kilometres. This translated to the
contamination of more than half a million seeds in one season.

"Our point is that contamination will increase exponentially over time,"
he said. "You might be able to keep contamination low in the first year
and maybe in the second year, but come year three, four or five it will
be everywhere."